In general, Information Handling Systems (IHS) include a processing device, a memory device for storing computer code that, when executed by the processor, causes the IHS to perform various operations on data and a data storage device for storing the data. Failures can occur in such systems when data stored in the data storage device becomes inaccessible, either due to a problem with the programs executing on the processor, or due to a physical problem with the data storage device. For example, a magnetic data storage device may include multiple magnetic disks which are configured to spin at a high rate of speed and store data thereon. Because the magnetic disks are typically made of fragile material and because they spin at such a high rate of speed, hard disk drives can easily become damaged if dropped, vibrated, or exposed to various other environmental or electrical conditions that may be damaging.
Often, a failure of a hard disk drive can be catastrophic, meaning that the data that has been stored on the hard disk drive may become inaccessible unless the disks are removed from the drive and installed in a data recovery device. Such recovery methods can be too costly or time consuming to be practical, so the data stored on the disk drive may be lost. Additionally, disk errors can become frustrating for computer users, because the system may not respond as expected or because data representing significant time expenditure, financial value, or sentimental value may be lost. An additional cost of such errors is the loss of user productivity and associated opportunity costs.
Solid State Memory assisted storage devices, such as hybrid Hard Disk Drives using Flash memory (Hybrid HDDs), use a combination of storage media including, for example, magnetic disk drives in combination with flash memory. Such devices may use the flash as a cache to enhance performance. Generally though, each device may contain one caching policy at a time and it is not able to dynamically change the policy based on the current application/usage of the device. Therefore, the device behavior is target as “one size fit all” and does not typically change the device attributes based on the system condition or specific usage case.
In the event of a storage device failure or corrupted operating system, the end user does not have the ability to reboot their system. Thus the user may be at a standstill from a productivity perspective.